Largest International Technical Cyber Defence Exercise Takes Place This Week

The largest international technical network defence exercise Locked Shields 2015 is organized this week by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. The exercise brings together over 400 cyber security specialist and teams representing 16 nations as well as NATO Computer Incident Response Capability.

“Locked Shields prepares computer emergency response specialist for the ever-changing cyber security landscape. Uniquely, we use realistic technologies, networks and attack methods,” said Colonel Artur Suzik, director of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. “To keep the exercise on par with real-world developments, new technologies and attack vectors are added every year,” Suzik added. The new elements of Locked Shields 2014 included Android devices, IP cameras and VoIP attacks. This year, ICS/SCADA systems and Windows 8 and 10 operating systems, as well as an element of active defence will be added.

“Locked Shields is a scenario-based exercise. All blue teams play the role of the rapid reaction teams of the fictional country of Berylia,” explained Colonel Suzik. He emphasized that the computer emergency response specialists are the training audience of the exercise, with media and legal injects being added to technical and forensic challenges. Locked Shields thus provides insight into how complex a modern cyber defence crisis can be, and what is required from nations in order to be able to cope with the threats.

Locked Shields is an annual real-time network defence exercise, organised since 2010 by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. Locked Shields 2015 is supported by the Government of Canada. The grant covers purchase of technical equipment for the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence cyber lab and supporting services that allowed increasing the capacity of exercise.

The Tallinn-based NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence is a NATO-accredited knowledge hub, focused on interdisciplinary applied research and development as well as consultations, trainings and exercises in the field of cyber security. The Centre’s mission is to enhance capability, cooperation and information-sharing between NATO, Allies and partners in cyber defence.